Two people are now feared dead in the French holiday resort of Biarritz after they were swept out to sea.

The town’s famous promenade was battered during the night leaving many businesses to pick up the pieces on Tuesday morning.

The surge was not isolated to France. A large stretch of Europe’s Atlantic coastline was hit by high tides, including Portugal and the Spanish region of Galicia. At least one person is now known to have died in Spain with two others still unaccounted for.

Elsewhere, near the capital Lisbon in Portugal, the swell was so bad huge pools of foam started washing up along the shore.